Have you ever been in charge of planning a family trip? It’s exhausting!
Sure, it may start out great. Where should you go? What should you do when you get there? But then there are the details. How many days will you be away? What date works for everyone? How will you get there? What flights will you take? What route will you take? Who will do the driving? Where will you make your pitstops? Where will you stay? Who is coming with you? Under whose care will you leave your pets and/or plants? Where are the restaurants or places you’ll get food from?
Don’t get us started on the packing list!
Planning a vacation is similar to IT implementation. Sometimes you can spend too much time choosing a destination that you ignore some key details on how to get there. Likewise, companies will oftentimes spend a huge amount of effort choosing a new technology to purchase, while glossing over key details about the implementation. But while choosing a slick new technology solution can be fun, implementing it can be a nightmare without the right change management.
Preparing for implementation can begin well before the technology is purchased.
We find that as soon as a field of solutions/vendors is narrowed down to finalists, it’s time to start the change management process for implementation.
An IT implementation is daunting – here are just a few of the items to consider before embarking on a technology road trip of your own:
- Timeline: Are there hard deadlines on this project? What is a realistic interval for implementation?
- Testing: Who will oversee testing? Who will sign off on UAT?
- Training: Will training be remote or in-person? Who will schedule, lead, and confirm training sessions?
- Decommissioning: Who will decommission old technology? When is the best time to get rid of the old solution in order to maximize cost savings and minimize ETFs?
- Go-Lives: Will the new solution go live all at once, or will it come online in a piecemeal fashion?
- Project Team: Who will manage the implementation from the vendor side? Who will be responsible from your company? Who will make sure any new PMs understand all the requirements and technical pieces?
- Financials: How will savings and costs be tracked? Who will validate savings in order to prove your business case?
There’s a lot to consider. And yet, people often get so infatuated with a new technology that they ignore the logistics of an implementation.
Handing the project off to a PM doesn’t work if the PM doesn’t understand the solution.
That would be like telling your friend to head out on a road trip without giving them a map or directions to the final destination.
At CXponent, we know how to get you to your destination. Our team members have been a part of many implementations, from small, bespoke solutions to global network redesigns. We’re happy to ride shotgun on your trip, calling out directions and roadblocks before they even come up.
Let us use our experience to make sure you have a smooth implementation. And if you need recommendations for a great trip, just let us know.